Does anyone else have problems with facial expressions?

Page 1 of 1 [ 16 posts ] 

TheUnknownOne
Hummingbird
Hummingbird

User avatar

Joined: 30 Sep 2013
Gender: Male
Posts: 19

11 May 2014, 8:56 am

Often when i am at school and look around class, when i look at someone they look back weird/angry like. One time i asked and they said they found i weird that i was looking at them withiout any facial expression. And when i came to think about it I realised that I often times don't have any natural facial expressions. I have to think about smiling when i am talking to someone and think about not looking too happy when someone is sad.

Does anyone else have this issue? :?



ZenDen
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 10 Jul 2013
Age: 82
Gender: Male
Posts: 1,730
Location: On top of the world

11 May 2014, 12:07 pm

I'm kind of like that. I sometimes catch myself "being neutral" and try to "slip into" a mild facial expression.

When I was in school I was especially jealous of people who displayed very expressive facial expressions as they would talk; especially certain authors and actors. I'd try to practice a "profound" (LOL) expression and try to match it to my speech but it always came off phony. I haven't done that in years.



LifUlfur
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 2 Nov 2013
Gender: Male
Posts: 547
Location: London

11 May 2014, 1:00 pm

Apart from the occasional eyebrow raise, I rarely make any facial expressions, all with the eyebrows (: . I have an odd smile and don't really use my lips to communicate as I often stim / twitch with them.


_________________
Welcome to the inside of your head. It's kind of empty in here.
Ma-Ma is not the law. I am the law.


Sedentarian
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 28 Aug 2013
Gender: Female
Posts: 6,682
Location: Madison, WI

11 May 2014, 3:42 pm

Definitely.


_________________
Mildly autistic WrongPlanet Member, teenage boy, and screen time lover extraordinaire. PM me if you want!


Dr_Cheeba
Snowy Owl
Snowy Owl

User avatar

Joined: 7 Aug 2011
Age: 35
Gender: Male
Posts: 174
Location: Ontario, Canada

11 May 2014, 3:46 pm

I'm very much the same way and in fact that was one of the signs I saw in my self that lead to an aspergers diagnosis. Luckily for me (Or unluckily), I've work in sales for 7 years so I've had time to study people and mimic their expressions to pass off as NT.

But I constantly have to think about making a slight smile when I'm around people or else I look angry or emotionless to everyone. I'm much more relaxed and comfortable with my natural blank face, though I always get asked "What's wrong?" when I'm acting normal so I have to act :(

The hardest and most uncomfortable thing about all of this is faking eye contact... I've learned to do it, but that doesn't make it easy or comfortable.

Why do we have to look in peoples eyes when talking to them? Argh.


_________________
"If the lessons of history teach us anything it is that nobody learns the lessons that history teaches us."


PerfectlyDarkTails
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 13 Mar 2012
Age: 37
Gender: Non-binary
Posts: 797
Location: Wales

11 May 2014, 7:58 pm

Yeah, may facial expression don't fit what and how I feel. This is often compounded with the fact I can't read or see other people's expressions at all and often trying to study it, it is often exhausting focusing on it an putting a word to the face. Unfortunately, even in facial expressions don't exactly match how a person feels.


_________________
"When you begin to realize your own existence and break out of the social norm, then others know you have completely lost your mind." -PerfectlyDarkTails

AS 168/200, NT: 20/ 200, AQ=45 EQ=15, SQ=78, IQ=135


TheUnknownOne
Hummingbird
Hummingbird

User avatar

Joined: 30 Sep 2013
Gender: Male
Posts: 19

12 May 2014, 11:56 am

Dr_Cheeba wrote:
I'm very much the same way and in fact that was one of the signs I saw in my self that lead to an aspergers diagnosis. Luckily for me (Or unluckily), I've work in sales for 7 years so I've had time to study people and mimic their expressions to pass off as NT.

But I constantly have to think about making a slight smile when I'm around people or else I look angry or emotionless to everyone. I'm much more relaxed and comfortable with my natural blank face, though I always get asked "What's wrong?" when I'm acting normal so I have to act :(

The hardest and most uncomfortable thing about all of this is faking eye contact... I've learned to do it, but that doesn't make it easy or comfortable.

Why do we have to look in peoples eyes when talking to them? Argh.


Yeah, someone once said to me while I was looing neutral/blank: LOL, you look like you are going to murder someone, you look right through my soul



ZombieBrideXD
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 26 Jan 2013
Age: 27
Gender: Female
Posts: 2,507
Location: Canada

12 May 2014, 7:15 pm

i have trouble with subtle facial expressions


_________________
Obsessing over Sonic the Hedgehog since 2009
Diagnosed with Aspergers' syndrome in 2012.
Diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder Level 1 severity without intellectual disability and without language impairment in 2015.

DA: http://mephilesdark123.deviantart.com


Gzac95
Tufted Titmouse
Tufted Titmouse

User avatar

Joined: 11 May 2014
Gender: Male
Posts: 27
Location: Texas

12 May 2014, 7:36 pm

I am not diagnosed with anything, so maybe I shouldn't speak, but I do have a bit of diffuclty with facial expressions. I can read others non verbal communication VERY well. However people tell me the blank face I usually have is creepy or scary. Generally I am blank unless I am laughing.



EzraS
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 24 Sep 2013
Gender: Male
Posts: 27,828
Location: Twin Peaks

12 May 2014, 9:58 pm

i'm told i have a blank expression a lot of the time. except when i get angry/annoyed my mom says it shows in my eyes.



mr_bigmouth_502
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 12 Dec 2013
Age: 31
Gender: Non-binary
Posts: 7,028
Location: Alberta, Canada

12 May 2014, 10:22 pm

I have trouble manipulating my own facial expressions and understanding the facial expressions of others as well. Whenever I try to judge an average person's given facial expression, unless it's something really obvious like a big grin or whatever, I'm usually way off the mark.



TaciturnPhantom
Blue Jay
Blue Jay

User avatar

Joined: 29 Mar 2014
Age: 27
Gender: Male
Posts: 96
Location: Britain

13 May 2014, 10:43 am

I find it difficult to use facial expressions unless it's a strong emotion. The strong emotion takes over the facial expression for me. Other than that, I've been told that I often have a neutral face expression. This has led to people calling me "cold" and "emotionless" before which angers and frustrates me.


_________________
Hanging onto a thread of sanity.

I apologise for any spelling or grammatical mistakes that I may make. I have severe hearing loss in both ears.


eggheadjr
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 3 Oct 2012
Age: 59
Gender: Male
Posts: 1,360
Location: Ottawa, Canada

13 May 2014, 11:51 am

I've been told I look so serious or even angry when I know I'm not. Usually occurs when I'm concentrating on something but those that don't know me often misread my facial expression.

As people get to know me better they seem to clue in to this about me and it becomes a non-issue.

:D


_________________
Diagnosed Asperger's


mr_bigmouth_502
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 12 Dec 2013
Age: 31
Gender: Non-binary
Posts: 7,028
Location: Alberta, Canada

13 May 2014, 9:00 pm

eggheadjr wrote:
I've been told I look so serious or even angry when I know I'm not. Usually occurs when I'm concentrating on something but those that don't know me often misread my facial expression.


This has happened to me before.



IamRob
Velociraptor
Velociraptor

User avatar

Joined: 6 Apr 2014
Age: 43
Gender: Male
Posts: 408
Location: Quebec,Canada

13 May 2014, 10:16 pm

^^^ I get that too sometimes

Dr cheeba wrote:

Quote:
I always get asked "What's wrong?" when I'm acting normal


That used to happen so often with girlfriends.It was so annoying since there was nothing wrong.
I would often get "what are you thinking about" that too was annoying.It was usually just random stuff and when i was snapped out of it i would usually forget what it was i was thinking about.

Though there are times with my friends where i have a big smile on.



Shadi2
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 9 Nov 2010
Gender: Female
Posts: 1,237

29 May 2014, 3:48 am

eggheadjr wrote:
I've been told I look so serious or even angry when I know I'm not.


Same here, even by total strangers. Like one time I was at a store, and the cashier said that I looked upset or angry (can't remember his exact words), but I was neither, I was feeling just fine. I also never smile for pictures, unless there was something happening and I smiled for some reason that has nothing to do with the picture, but my family bug me a lot about it so I try to force myself to smile, but even then it just doesn't look natural. I remember once my aunt wanted to take a picture and she was bugging me a lot about it so I tried to do a big smile ... I look like a maniac on that picture lol, its just not natural for me. I learned to smile a bit more when I am around people tho, so they don't think I'm upset or anything, but I don't do the big smile thing (unless I am actually laughing).


_________________
That's the way things come clear. All of a sudden. And then you realize how obvious they've been all along. ~Madeleine L'Engle